What Happens After (Epic The Movie)
by Juditha Grey
Summary: With the Boggans defeated, the new queen crowned and Mandrake gone, the people of the Forest are finally at peace. Everything was perfect. Or so they thought.
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

I woke up to the sound of tiny knocks on my window. Half awake, I made my way to my window, tripping over things and bumping my head on the low ceiling. When I got there, Nod stood on the windowsill, looking at me. Oh, in case you didn't know, Nod is 2 inches tall. As usual, he looked really good, even in his Leafmen uniform. He was wearing this charming smile of his. My heart skipped a beat. "Hi!" I squeaked. He waved back at me. That's when I realized.

Now that I'm back to normal and not 2 inches tall, I'm not like them. "Them", referring to the tiny people in the forest. About a month ago, I moved into my Dad's home, right in the middle of a forest. My Dad was obsessed with tiny people living in the forest. He believed they existed. I didn't. So when I couldn't stand his madness (or so I thought it was madness), I decided to leave. Then, when I was just about to leave, my three-legged dog, Ozzy ran into the woods, I had no choice but to follow him. Believe it or not, I got shrunk into one of those 2-inches-tall human my dad was obsessed about.

After saving the entire forest with Nod, Ronin, Mub the slug and Grub the snail (long story), I Turned back into my normal self. Occasionally, Nod would come and visit me, but I would have to wear this gadget of my dad's, as tiny people talked and moved faster than us humans. Like a lot faster. I remembered when I was tiny and Ronin, Nod and I went broke into my Dad's house (I wouldn't exactly call it break into the house, it's my house anyway), Ronin and Nod were joking about how Stompers (that's what they call humans) walked and talked so slow. "And they're like 'IIIIII HUUUUUURTTTTT MYYYYY ELLLBOOOOWW'" Nod had said, between laughter. So right now, Nod would hear me saying "HIIIIIIII!" instead of just a short "Hi."

Oh god. That was embarrassing.

Stifling a laugh, he smiled. I motioned to him to wait and rushed down stairs to get my leafmen goggles (that's what Dad called it). I ran back up to my room and opened up the window. Nod crawled in, jumped down, and jumped on my bed. From my experience, when you're so tiny, you jump really high. I wish I could jump like that in my normal size. I would be world champion for long jump.

I sat on the bed with him and adjusted my leafmen goggles.

"Hey, MK," Nod said.

"So why'd you come?" I asked.

"What, can't I visit my girlfriend?"

I blushed. "I am not your girlfriend," I replied, looking away.

"In case you've forgotten, we kissed," he said with a smirk. God, I hate it when he does that.

"I remember, Nod," I said, shooting him a glare. We did kiss. Right before I Turned back into a Stomper- Great, now I'm starting to talk like them.

"So anyway," Nod said, "I've got something for you but I'm going to have to go outside and get it."

I told him I would wait. A few minutes later, he came back with-

"A pod!" I exclaimed. A pod was the reason why I turned tiny last month. But why had Nod brought it in?

"Got that right," Nod said, handing it to me. "Feel like turning 2 inches tall again, MK?"

I grinned. Of course, I missed the people in the forest, but I missed being with Nod the most. But what about Dad? I can't leave him alone.

Nod seemed to read my mind. "Your dad can come, too," he said. I still hesitated. I missed being tiny, but what if I can't Turn human again? I couldn't take the risk.

"Oh, come on, MK. Think about what we could do together. I promise you wont regret it," he said, with this look on his face.

I nodded. I told him I would have to go tell my dad first. I ran down the stairs and found Dad reading a book on his usual reading spot- his worktable.

"Hey Dad," I smiled. He turned around, returned a smile and went back to his reading. I groaned. There were times when he was not preoccupied with stuffs, but now wasn't those times.

"Listen, Nod came over and he thought of a brilliant idea. He said maybe we could Turn-" I started.

"Oh, it's okay, MK, you can go, I'll just stay at home," he replied.

I sighed and went back up. "Dad doesn't want to go," I told Nod. "But I do."

He grinned, "Let's go then."

Author's note: Hey there! So, I wrote this chapter like right after I watched Epic a few months ago, but Fanfiction didn't have the category for Epic yet, so I waited and waited and I forgot about it. UNTIL TODAY. So, here it is! I'm really sorry my Percy Jackson fanfic (Sarah J. Jackson and The Ruby Of Olympus) was last updated like a gazillion years ago (not really, it was just 5 months ago). I've been really busy, but now that summer break is here... I AM BACK! With a few juicy ideas mehehe :D So review, like and follow!


	2. Chapter 2: Hummingbird Riding Goes Wrong

Chapter 2: Hummingbird Riding Goes Wrong

"You'll do fine," Nod said, grinning. I gripped the halter of my hummingbird so hard my knuckles turned white. I took a few deep breaths. _You can do it, M.K_., I told myself. Nod and the other leafmen were having Hummingbird Riding lessons, but somehow Nod convinced Ronin, the general of the leafmen, to let me train, too.

The thing about riding a hummingbird: It's easier said than done. Imagine riding a full-grown horse. Riding the bird was twice as hard. Hummingbirds move really fast, no kidding, and they seem to have a mind of their own. They follow our orders but they follow their instincts sometimes. Let's hope it doesn't happen this time.

"Alright, leafmen-," One of the leafmen, Joseph, started but seemed to remember that I was there, too. He continued, "And M.K., get ready. GO!"

One by one, the hummingbirds flew away with their riders on them, instructing them. I whispered to my hummingbird, Carina, "Okay, girl. Let's fly."

We were supposed to fly alongside with Nod and his hummingbird but Carina seemed to have other ideas. All of a sudden, she jerked to the right. A squeal escaped my lips. Carina chirped, maybe excitedly, I don't know because I don't speak hummingbird. I pulled the halter…. But as if that helped.

I yelled through the howl of the wind, "Carina! Listen to me- AHHH!" Again, Carina decided to swerve to another direction. I ducked, barely missing the twig that was right in front of me moments ago.

Carina dived down abruptly. I pulled the halter as hard as I can, screaming as if I was about to die. In this case, maybe I was.

Everything went black.

When I came to, I found myself lying on the cold ground. Shaking my head, I forced myself to sit up. I scanned my surroundings. I was in those forests you see in movies where the princess runs away and hides in the dark woods or something like that. Branches of dark trees shielded the sunlight. It was dead quiet. I shuddered. Clearly it was deserted.

Hold on. There wasn't supposed to be a dark, cold and deserted part in the Forest. After the War, the people restored the entire Forest. Or so Nod said they did.

So what happened to this lonely area? Where was this place? Hopefully it wasn't somewhere too far off from Greenbrier, where everyone else was.

Wait. How did I get here? I remembered attending Hummingbird Riding training. I remembered flying Carina. I remembered… Crash-landing.

"Carina!" I yelled, panic replacing my confusion. She had to be somewhere near me. What if she was hurt and couldn't get up? Oh god.

_Chirp, chirp. _Where was it coming from?

"Where are you, girl?" I said.

"She's here," replied an unfamiliar masculine voice. Wasn't this place deserted?

I found them a few minutes later.

Them being Carina and a figure crouched next to her.

I rushed over, desperate in finding out what happened to my hummingbird. "Carina!" I said as I sat next to her. She was moaning. There was a huge gash on her right wing. A scary pool of blood was forming underneath it with bits of feathers scattered around it. Oh, no.

"She'll be fine, if that's what you're worrying about."

I turned my attention to the source of the voice. When I was just about to say something, I froze.

He had messy jet black hair, with bangs that were long enough to cover his brows. His eyes were a stormy shade of gray, with flecks of gold around his pupil. His lips were uneven, not too thick but not too thin either. He reminded me of those bad boys girls fall for. In other words, he was _hot_.

"I-" I started. _Quit stuttering_, I said to myself.

"Wh-what do you mean she'll be fine?" I choked out.

He smiled and replied, "I know how to fix it."

"Do you?" I asked him curiously. Was he a doctor? What was a doctor doing here?

"I do. Her name's Carina? What's yours?" Was it safe to tell a complete stranger my name?

It wouldn't hurt, right? "Mary Katherine. Call me M.K."

"That's a nice name. I'm Jason. Jace, if you will."

I smiled at him and scooted nearer to Carina so I can take a better look at her injuries. "So, Jace," I started, not familiar with his name, "You can fix her?"

He nodded in reply. I looked up, catching Jace's stormy eyes. Was he… staring at me? A light shade of pink bloomed across his cheeks as he averted his gaze.

After a few moments he abruptly said, "Yeah, I can. I'm a Healer."

I cocked my head. "A Healer?" I asked curiously. Nod has never mentioned anything about Healers before. Archers, Growers, Runners, yes. But never Healers.

He nodded, saying, "Healers can basically heal anything with our bare hands. We're really rare; maybe that's why you've never heard of one. I'll show you."

He positioned his right hand above Carina's gash. Shutting his eyes, he murmured something. Instantly, the gash began to close. I gaped in awe. It was like watching someone weaving a beautiful tapestry, except Jace wasn't weaving. Slowly, the gash disappeared.

"Y-you're amazing!" I gasped.

He shrugged. "Yeah, I get that a lot," he said with a smirk.

I hit him playfully on his shoulder while laughing.

Carina chirped in annoyance. If she could talk, the chirp would've probably sounded like, "Hey, quit flirting! Help me get up, idiots!"

I clapped my hands. "So, what should we do now?" I asked.

"The sky's getting dark. You should go back," Jace said.

"I should go back? What about you? Don't tell me you live here, because I might never look at you the same way again," I joked. Imagine Jace as a psycho who lives alone in a dark forest. Actually, that might be possible.

He smiled. "I-I don't live here. It's just, I thought of leaving after you do. I don't reckon Carina can carry the both of us." He added, "Not that Carina isn't strong or anything," after Carina chirped angrily at him.

I said in between laughter, "I think she can. I've flown with Nod on Carina before."

Nod… Oh god, I wonder if he was looking for me right now. He must be worried.

Jace raised an eyebrow. "Nod?" he questioned.

"He's my.." I began. What was he to me, exactly? We weren't really in a relationship. But for some reason I feel this strong connection with him. "My friend," I continued.

"Alright, then. Let's fly home," Jace said.

And we did.

Author's note: I'm so sorry it's been what, 3 weeks since I updated? So that's why I made this chapter EXTRA long. I spent my whole afternoon doing this, guys, so you better like it, or else. Anyway, follow, favourite and review (More reviews, guys?) And email me your ideas or suggestions of what you want to happen next to my gmail, JudithaGrey. Love you xx


	3. Chapter 3: Flying Round Town

**Chapter 3: I See You Flying Round Town WIth The Girl I Love**

The ride back to Greenbrier took a really long time. Before that, I insisted on riding Carina, but Jace offered to ride her instead, saying, "We don't want to crash-land again, do we?"

After an hour or so of flying, the view of the Queen's castle was visible. I've always admired the architectural beauty of the Queen's castle. The way the emerald walls reflected the sunlight, the way the Faerie lights in the castle illuminated the entire structure when dusk arrives.

"Where do you want to go?" Jace asked, jerking me from my daze. Where _did_ I want to go? Nod's place? The castle? Or maybe we could just stop by McLeaf's Fly-thru and get some cans of Nectar or something.

McLeaf would be good. "Are you hungry?"

He shrugged. My eyes scanned for a bright green signboard. Almost every McLeaf restaurant had a huge neon signboard that says: McLeaf; I'm leafin' it.

Don't ask me why. I'm not the one who suggested we open a tiny McDonald's rip-off right in the middle of the forest.

Finally, I found it. I tapped on Jace's shoulder and told him to land there.

Everyone was looking at us when we landed. What's wrong? And then, it hit me. Only Leafmen get to ride Hummingbirds. Most people of the Forest walk. Only some get to ride butterflies. But Hummingbirds were for the special authorities only. Neither Jace nor I looked like one of those special people.

I told Carina to explore the place and come back in an hour.

"Let's go in," I said to Jace, grabbing his arm and ushering him in.

McLeaf looked like McDonald's in the inside and the outside, except it was more… Nature themed. We sat on tree trunks instead of normal chairs. The tables were huge thick leaves. The food? Well, let's just say meat-lovers hate this place.

Most animals here were our friends. Who eats their friends for dinner, right?

Somehow, they made Flowgers – you guessed it, flowgers are flower burgers - really good, although the lack of meat makes it less appetizing than real burgers.

Jace looked around. "So, you've been here before? How's the food?"

I replied with a simple, "You'll see."

After a couple of minutes, we ordered two large cups of Fizzy Nectar and two Orchid Flowgers. I guess Jace was really hungry, because he finished his Flowger in 5 minutes, while I was still munching my first half of mine.

"Well, someone's a hungry bear," I teased, laughing.

Jace grinned and replied, "At least that's better than being a slow sloth."

I playfully bumped his shoulder with mine a little too hard, sending him off his trunk-chair-thingy and onto the floor. On his way down, I surged forward to grab hold of him, but instead, I smashed a packet of orchid paste. The paste flew everywhere.. including Jace's face.

Both of us burst into hysterical laughter. People around us were probably staring at us, wondering what on Earth we were doing, but I couldn't help it. I mean, what would _you_ do if a guy with Orchid paste all on his face fell flat on his butt in front of you and you know you caused it?

I helped him up after we finished laughing for a whole one minute.

"I can't believe you did that," Jace said with mock anger, a smile plastered on his face.

I was still laughing. "I'm so sorry! I'll help," I said, grabbing a cloth and attempting to clean the Orchid paste off his face… only to make it worse.

"It's alright, it's alright," Jace assured. "I'll do it."

After a while, we left the restaurant. Carina was waiting outside, tapping her left talon continuously, as if she was getting impatient.

"Where are we going to now?" I asked Jace, climbing onto Carina.

He shrugged. "Where do you live?" he inquired.

I told him usually I stayed at Nod's house, but the Queen invited to stay there for the week.

"To the castle it is," he said.

On our way to the Queen's castle, he asked, "So you live with.. Nod?"

"Yeah," I replied, and then added, "W-we have different rooms, if that's what you're, um, worried about." God, what was I saying? Why would he be worried about me when I just met him?

But his face seemed to relax a bit. Just a little, as he said, "That's good. Is Nod your friend or something.. More?"

"H-he's just a friend, yeah." Or was he? "Hey," I said, desperate in changing the subject, "You can stay in the castle tonight. That is, if you want to."

He brightened up and replied, "If the Queen doesn't mind, I'm in."

When we arrived at the castle, Jace looked as intrigued as I was. "Wow," he muttered as a Clover Jinn came over and told us the Queen was waiting for us in the throne room.

"You don't understand!" Nod's booming voice rang in my ears as we entered the huge room. "We _have_ to send a search party for her! W-Who knows what happened to her?" Her? Was he talking about me?

"Nod?" I called out.

He turned, anger and worry obvious on his face. But when he caught my gaze, relief washed over him, replacing the anger and worry.

In a second, he was hugging me; one hand stroking my hair while the other was holding me. "Oh, god, M.K. Thank god you're alright," he muttered, over and over again, not letting me go.

I returned his affection and whispered, "I'm back. There's no need to worry, Nod."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jace leaving the throne room, his fists clenched at his sides and his face flushed with… Was that.. _Anger_?

**A/N: So, two chapters in a week! You may thank me. But I've got to thank ****_you_**** guys for the suggestions, reviews, favourites and follows (though I didn't receive that many) I'll be working on my other story for the week, so it's like, Epic this week, Percy Jackson the next. But when I've got extra time I'll work on both :) So what do you think about this chapter? I'm sorry it wasn't that long. But here you go :) Remember to favourite, follow, review and email :D x**


End file.
